Feed-regulator for concrete-mixing machines.



1,170,804. I Patented Feb-8,1916.

. w. J. DUNHAML; I

FEED REGULATORFOR CONCRETE MIXING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FIL ED MAY'20,'I9I4.

Y2 SHEETSSHEET\I.

V a, I I

w. 1, DUNH'AM. FEED REGULATOR FOR CONCRETE MIXING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1914. w

2'SHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented Feb. 8,1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 1

;WILLIAM J. IbUNHAM, or J'OHNSTOWN, 'NEW, YORK.

FEED-REGULATOR rose concnnrn-mxmo MACHINES.

. To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. DUnHaM, acitizen of the United States of Amer ca, and resident of J ohnstown, inthe county of Fulton and State of New York, havein vented certain newand useful Improvements in Feed-Regulators for Concrete-Mixing Machines,of which the following is a specification.

n This 1nvent1on relates to machines for mixing concrete and the likeand has for its object the provision of novel means for deliveringpredetermined amounts of the ingredients of the composition to a mixerwhere the same. may be agitated and comingled, preparatory to moisteningthe same, means being also providedfor de1iver ing liquid to theinterior of the mixer or agitator so that the composition in emergingfrom the mixer will be in condition for use. a

A further object of this invention is to provide means foreflt'ecting apositive feeding operation for the cement as well as the coarserparticles of material employed in compositions of matter to be used forthe 3 production of so called artificial'stone, plastic bricks and forother uses as in the laying of sidewalks, roadbeds, etc. 7 a

A further ob ect ofthis invention is to provide a mixing machine of thecharacter indicated having novel means for confining the materials tothe conveyers whereby the material is prevented from gaining access tothe working parts of the mechanism and preventing loss, due to theescape of such 5 material. 7

or hoppers and particularly in the provision-- Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed May 20, 1914. Serial No. 839,865.

Patented ab. 8, 1916.

of novel means for controlling the outlet opening for the cement,provision. being ,made fon. guarding against the so-called bolling ofthe cement, which is due to its characteristic flowing or runningqualities.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

v wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the severalviews and in which- Figure 1 illustrates a view in elevation of themachine with the truck or support thereof omitted; Fig. 2 illustrates atop lan view, omitting the hoppers; Fig. 3 ilustrates a verticalsectionalview of the hopper and conveyer; Fig. 4 illustrates-an end viewshowing the hopper in elevation; Fig.

5 illustrates a sectional view on the line.

5 5of Fig. 4;-and Fig. 6 illustrates a deta11 viiew of one of the doorsfor coarse materia In these drawings, I have shown a frame 15 which isadapted to be supported in trucks of any appropriate type or on skids,or the frame may be otherwise supported but as the particular feature ofsupporting or transporting it is immaterial, means are not here shownfor that purpose. The said frame supports slings or yokes 16 andbrackets 17, the latter of which constitute supports for the hopper 18,which hopper'is connected to the brackets '17 bythe angle irons 1,9. Aconveyer bed 20 is supported to be located beneath the discharge andtoextend in frontof the hopper and is divided into longitudinallydisposed channels by the side flanges 21 and intermediately disposed rib22. Between the rib 22 and one of the side flanges, there is a conveyerbelt 23 and between the said rib and the opposite side flange is aconveyer belt 24. 'lhe distance between the rib and one of the sideflanges is greater than the space between the said rib and the oppositeside flange as it has been ascertained in practice that the conveyerbelt 24: which is designed for-the purpose of carrying cement may be ofless caveying sand, gravel or other coarser particles which are tobe'used in the composition of ,pacity than the conveyer 24' utilized forconmatter; in fact, the formula in most instances requires two-thirds orapproximately two-thirds of the coarser material and about one-third ofthe cement, therefore, the capacity of the conveyers need not be thesame. Provision is furthermore made in this invention for delivering tothe mixer a still coarser material such as crushed stone,

the last mentioned result being attained through the medium of atransversely disposed conveyer 25, leading from the hopper 26, anddischarging into the chute 27 and the chute 27 is also in position toreceive materials from the conveyer belts 23 and 24.

The hoppers have discharge openings which allow the material to bedeposited on the conveyers and the said openings are guarded byslidingshutters-or doors 28, 29 and 30,

. the latter of which is used for controlling 2 0 the exit opening ofthe cement. In describing the hopper 18, it might be well to;say that ithas a partition 31 therein'so that it is divided into two compartmentsto retain the gravel and cement in a separated state until it isdelivered to the chute through the finding access to the under surfaceof the conveyer, guards 32 are providedand they are attached to thesideflanges and the in termediate rib so that their edges overlie the uppersurface of the conveyer-belts. In the construction of these guards,longitudinally disposed plates are utilized, the said plates havingflanges 33 at their upper edges,

which are designed to overlie the upper edges of'the side flanges or theupper edge of the intermediaterib according to whether the said guardsare applied to the side flanges or the rib. In other words, i the guardsare interchangeable and may be, used on the side flanges or the rib. Atcertain points throughout the length of the guard, bosses orthickenedportions 34 are formed, the same being apertured for the reception ofthe securing bolts 35 which bolts pass through the said apertures andthrough apertures formed in the side flangesor intermediate rib so thatthe guard is bound or secured to one of said members. As will be seen by'of the conveyers is prevented.

The mixer 36 consists in part of a cylin- 1,17o,so4.

drical rumble having spirally arranged blades 37 of appropriate pitchand inclination to carry the material delivered to the mixer toward therear end thereof where it. is discharged to any appropriate receptacleor support. I

As a means for rotating the mixer, 36, the same is provided with annularribs 38 forming tracks which run on rollers .39 appropriately journaledand supported by the stirrups or slings 39 which are anchored on thesills or frame.

The mixer cylindrical member 36 has one ehd partially closed by anapertured disk 40 having a toothed periphery which teeth are engaged bythe sprocket chain 41 driven which shaft is journaled in the yokes orstirrups 39.

The power shaft 44 is driven by any appropriate motor which may beplaced within the casing 45, the particular type of motor beingimmaterial. The drive shaft 44 is provided with a pulley 46having a belt47 which runs over a pulley 48 on the driven shaft 49. p The drivenshaft 49 has a beveled gear wheel 50 which drives a beveled gear wheel51 on the shaft 43 and the said shaft 43 has a clutch 53 for connecting,andd' connecting the sprocket'wheel 54 with the said shaft 43 so thatthe sprocket chain 55 may be driven to rotate the shaft56 through themedium of the sprocket'wheel 57. The shaft 56 has a drum or pulley 58over which the conveyer belt 59 is run, the said conveyer and belt beingin position to discharge material to the chuteleading tov the mixer. Thebed forthe conveyer belt 59 is the same as the bed for the conveyers forthe cement and gravel and the guard and other parts tioned conveyers andtherefore, a further detailed description isbelieved unnecessary.

The driven shaft 49 has a sprocket wheel 60 with a sprocket chain 61running over a sprocket wheel 62 which latter sprocket wheel is on atransversely disposed shaft 63 carrying two sprocket wheels 64 and 65,one of which is larger than the other. The shaft 63 is furthermoreprovided with a double clutch 66 which operate with clutch member 67 and68 on the sprocket wheels 64 and respectively, so that the clutchmembers may be operated to cause either the wheel 64 or 65 to rotateunder the influence of the shaft 63. A shaft 69 is journaled inappropriate brackets and it carries a drum or pulley 70 over which theconveyer belts 23 and 24 travel and by which they are moved. In order torotate the shaft 69, sprocket wheels 70 and 71 are secured to it andthey are engaged by chains 72 and 73 which are drivenby the sprocketfrom the sprocket wheel 42 on a shaft 43 wheels 64: and 65 respectivelyso that'by reason of the use of the clutch, the conveyer may be drivenat an increased or diminished speed depending upon the wheel which isutilized for communicating power to the shaft 69.

The bearings 74 for the shaft 69 are adjustably mounted in the brackets75 which brackets are supported as shown and by reason of theadjustability of the bearings, the conveyer belts may be tightened oradjusted to take up lost motion. The conveyer 23 and 24 are caused torun over an idler 76 which is rotatably mounted in the brackets 77.

The doors 28, 29 and 3) are'similarly operated by means of leversorhandles 78 mounted on studs 79 and connected by links 80 with theappropriate doors so that motion of a handle or lever may becommunicated to a door. The doors that are used for guarding the passageof coarse-material such as gravel or crushed stone are preferably joinednear the lower end by a hinge such as shown in the drawing. Adetailed-construction of one of the doors 28 will serve as anillustration of the construction of the door 29. The lower part of thedoor 28 has Q a hinged section 28 provided with astud 28 The uppersection of the door has a stud 28 with a spring 28 between them whichserves to hold the sections in alinement under normal conditions ofoperation but the spring is provided so that. the lower section mayyield to prevent cloggingof the passage-way for the material should anunusually large piece of material travel in the chute and contact thelower portion of the door, as the said lower portion may be swungoutwardly to allow the larger piece to 3 pass thereunder.

It has been found in practice by the use of the apparatus just describedthat the hopper doors may be set at predetermined positions to insuresuch regularity of feed of material from the hoppers as to enable theoperator to determine the number of cubic feet ofmaterial which will bemixed ready for use.

For instance, if a formula calls for one third amount of material orsupplies furnished for use in the machine.

It is well known that there are intermittent feeding devices designed toaccomplish the result attained by this invention but the intermittentdevices such as plungers disa conveyer bed having. side flanges and anvintermediate partition, conveyer belts run- Iiing between the sideflanges and the intermediate partition, means for driving the conveyerbelt, and guards secured to the side flanges and the intermediatepartition for preventing material gaining access to theedges of theconveyer belts.

2. In a feed regulator for concrete mixing machines, the combination ofa hopper,

a conveyer bed having side flanges and an intermediate partition, aconveyer belt between one of the side flanges and the'intermediatepartition, a conveyer belt between the opposite side flange and theintermediate partition, means for driving the said belts, guards securedto the side flanges and intermediate partition, said guards having theiredges terminating above the conveyer belts to prevent material gainingaccess thereto.

3. In a feed regulator for concrete mixing machines, the-combination ofa hopper, a conveyer bed, and to one side of the longitudinal center ofthe hopper, side flanges and an intermediate partitionextendinglongitudinally of the said bed, conveyer belts on the bed, means fordrivin the said conveyer belts, guards adapted to l e parallel with theside flanges and intermediate partition, said guard having. flanges atthe upper edges overlying the sideflanges and intermediate partition,apertured bosses on the said guards, and means for securing the guards,

' ings at one end, a partition for separating the hopper into twocompartments having discharge openings of. unequal area, a bed for theconveyer belts which is common to both compartments of the hopper, meansfor associating a conveyer bed with the hopper, and means within thehopper maintained to overlie the longitudinal edges of the conveyerbelts.

5. In a feed regulator for concrete mixing machines, a hopper having apartition, the

lower end of which is separated longitu-' dinally, a rib maintainedtoextend between the separated end ofthe partition, traveling conveyerbelts, the side edges of which are In testimony whereof, I hereuntoafiix my overlaid by the ends of the partition, designature inthevpresenoe of two witnesses. pending means for overlying the otheredges LLIAM J. DUNHAM. of the belt, and a rigid bed associated withWitnesses:

the hopper and upon which the conveyer PEARL A. PUTNAM, travels. Lo'mmE. BARKLEY.

